Due to its trendiness, it is often misunderstood, misused and taught incorrectly. It can be downright aggravating. Mindfulness is only one type of meditation. The two are not synonymous. It is not time spent thinking or mulling things over. Mindfulness is not for escaping either, like trying desperately to run from negativity to positivity.

“Mindfulness is the empowering practice of living fully in the present moment with awareness. In practicing mindfulness, we train our mind to be more focused and responsive and less distracted and reactive. All this happens as we learn to pay attention to what’s happening within and around us with unbiased curiosity, accuracy and open-heartedness. Care is given to neither resist nor hold on to what’s happening but to let experiences come and go, just as they are, in a friendly, evenhanded way. We learn to skillfully direct our attention in wholesome ways and take appropriate action when needed.” (Guided Mindfulness Meditations: Practicing Presence and Finding Peace, by Julie Lusk: Health Journeys, 2016)

Sophie, our sweetheart dog has been extremely ill, bringing on worry, sadness and a sick stomach. I was so grateful that I could use my mindfulness skills to help me with feeling so freaked out. I practiced mindfully focusing on the wild range of feelings, physically and emotionally. Eventually, I could feel the knots in my stomach calm down. All this eased my fears to naturally make room for some clear thinking and problem-solving. Now that she’s home from critical care, I’m enjoying my time with her without being distracted as much. Her fur feels softer.

There are many correct and incorrect ways to practice mindfulness. Body-Based Mindfulness is a great practice with long-lasting benefits for novices and seasoned meditators. It happens when one impartially watches over physical sensations as they happen. Gentle awareness is placed on the body and/or the breath. Doing so serves as a very effective anchor for ones wandering thoughts and feelings because the body and the breath can only happen in the present moment – the hallmark of meditation.

Think about it. All bodily organs can only function moment to moment. It’s impossible to breathe in the past or for the future. It only happens now. The same goes for impartially noticing places that feel unpleasant, pleasant, neutral or numb. The mind can hop, skip and jump from the present to the past or the future in a flash, making moment-to-moment awareness very challenging.

Focus Points for Body-Based Mindfulness

Sit up tall as comfortably as possible. Either close your eyes or have them half-open. Start with a few minutes, progressing to longer time-frames.

Choose something concrete. Focus on your dominant hand, for example. Where is it? What position is it in? What’s its temperature? How much tension/relaxation is present? You can even focus on an ache or pain – anything that calls for your attention. As attention strays, gently refocus on the direct experience as it happens.

Choose the breath. It is subtler than most body sensations but breathing still happens here and now. If this is your focal point, go with what’s happening physically. Figure out what part of the breath is the easiest to follow. Is it the sensations at your nostrils, could it be the movement in your chest or belly? Maybe it’s the sound of it. Remember, there’s no need to change it. Simply notice it as it comes and goes.

When an emotional array of moods come up – same deal – how does this joy, this grief, this confusion, this clarity being experienced physically? Let it spark an exploration of what happens in your gut, to your heart rate, in your jaw – wherever physical sensations are showing up.

Tips

What’s fun is to center in to see what happens? Folks are often surprised how impermanent and fleeting distractions really are. All that’s needed is to watch what’s happening, with curiosity and acceptance. Whatever is showing up physically, mentally, emotionally or some combo is often just asking/crying out for attention. Soon enough, the sensation shifts. If something persists, perhaps it really is time to make a change. It’s all about moving away from reacting mechanically or unconsciously to responding with awareness.

When resistance or restlessness flairs up, rather than trying to squash or ignore it, try making peace with it. Try something like, “Oh hello restlessness. Make yourself at home.” In other words, make peace with it while it’s visiting. Notice what restlessness feels like, practicing with acceptance, more and more.

All in all, it works better when moving from the gross to the subtle. All that means is starting with the body, then perhaps to the breath, and maybe to the thinking mind. Honestly, it all seems to naturally flow that way anyway.

Julie eases your way into being more mindful with her clean, user-friendly, body-based, joyful approach. The net effect is calmer nerves, a brighter outlook, stronger memory, sharper focus, healthier body awareness and a more balanced perspective. With repeated use, listeners become more fully attentive to what is happening right now, neither resisting nor clinging to each moment, but letting experiences come and go and be just as they are. This program offers a 5-minute track of training tips; a long (18 min) and a short (6 min) mindfulness experience; and ways to be more mindful informally during the day (4 min). (39 minutes total) Published by Health Journeys.

Gain the benefits of meditation with comfort and ease. You will soon solve workplace stress and easily handle personal challenges and health issues. CLICK on the blue title link above to find out more...

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Julie Lusk, MEd, E-RYT 500, has more than 35 years of expertise in stress relief, yoga, relaxation training, guided imagery, and meditation as an international author, recording artist, and workshop leader. Julie is the author of Yoga Nidra for Complete Relaxation and Stress Relief, Yoga Meditations, two volumes of 30 Scripts for Relaxation, Imagery and Inner Healing, and Desktop Yoga®. Her audio downloads and CDs include Wholesome Relaxation, Power of Presence, Yoga Nidra Essentials, Blue Moon Rising, and many others. Learn more at https://JulieLusk.com

A sharp mind and a good memory are important qualities that all of us need and want. Concentration is valuable at home, work, and while pursuing sporting, artistic and other activities. Many of us get concerned when forgetfulness happens to us or to those close to us. This is particularly troublesome as we age and especially if we have a family history of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. Try Brain Yoga!

It’s never to soon to start taking better care of your brain. The brain, after all, is the most important and complex organ of the body. It controls everything that goes on, physically, mentally, emotionally.

Brain Facts: According to Piedmont Healthcare, the average adult human brain weighs three pounds. It has a texture like firm jelly and is made up of 75 percent water. The average person has 70,000 thoughts every day. Each time your heart beats, your arteries carry 20 to 25 percent of your blood to the brain. The harder you think, the more oxygen and fuel your brain uses from your blood – up to 50 percent. Every time you recall a memory or have a new thought, you create a connection in the brain. There are 100 billion neurons (nerve cells) in the brain, but they make up only 10 percent of the brain. These neurons branch out to 100 trillion-plus trigger points, forming what experts call a “neuron forest.” There are 100,000 miles of blood vessels in the brain. The distance around the world at the equator is 24,900 miles.

Lifestyle factors such as good nutrition, sleep quality, stress levels, smoking habits, alcohol and drug use, and exercise can either help or hinder brain functioning. It’s smart to wear a helmet to protect your head and brain. Good friendships and learning new things can have a positive effect. Yoga has much to offer. Its benefits extend well beyond gains in flexibility, strength, coordination, and increasing physical, mental and spiritual wellness. Yoga improves brain health.

Mudras are yoga positions, gestures, and seals for your hands and fingers that facilitate health, healing, psychological balance and spiritual growth. They are effective, easy to learn, practical and powerful. Anyone can do them. Learn more about mudras here.

Hakini Mudra is one of my favorite hand mudras. It’s good for the brain because both hemispheres of the brain are integrated and invigorated. Using this mudra throughout the day can help clear your mind. It boosts memory, concentration, and assists problem solving. Complete and full breathing is facilitated effortlessly, giving the brain the oxygen-rich blood it needs to perform optimally. It has a positive effect on the entire body by stimulating and harmonizing the first six energy centers (chakras). Learn how easy the Hakini Mudra is to do here. It takes no time at all.

Meditationimproves mental functioning. According to a study conducted at the University of Kentucky, subjects who took a late-afternoon test after meditating for 40 minutes had significantly better scores than those who fell asleep for the same period. Another study at Massachusetts General Hospital showed a beneficial thickening in the cerebral cortex that has responsibility for decision making, increased attention and improved memory. Increased activation in the left part of the frontal region was also demonstrated. This activity is associated with lower anxiety and a more positive emotional state. Learn more here.Here are a few meditation techniques to get you started.

Mindfulness is the moment to moment awareness of inner and outer experience in the present time with a non-judgmental and non-evaluative stance. Research shows that a mindfulness practice helps develop all 9 functions of the Pre-Frontal Cortex.

Yoga Nidra is another highly effective method for brain-body integration. It improves memory and learning by producing specialized brain waves for maximum receptivity, increasing the ability to absorb, process and recall information.

The rotation of consciousness technique found on Yoga Nidra Essentials is especially effective. It’s simply done by mentally scanning the body using a specific order and duration based on the sensory-motor cortex, also called the homunculus. This creates a healthy synchronization of energy throughout the brain and body.

If you look closely at the diagram of the brain’s sensory-motor cortex below, you will notice that more area is devoted to certain places than to others. For instance, compare the relatively large amount of area dedicated to the hands and fingers with the small amount dedicated to the hips. Therefore, more time is intentionally spent scanning specific areas of the body than others during yoga nidra.

Your brain needs blood and oxygen to think. Twenty to 25 percent of your blood is delivered to the brain with each heartbeat. Your brain needs up to 50 percent more oxygen the harder you think. It makes sense to oxygenate your blood supply and to use your full lung capacity by breathing deeply rather than shallowly. Follow these instructions to improve your breathing right now. Abdominal breathing produces increases in the “feel good” neurotransmitter serotonin as shown on EEGs. Alpha, theta, and delta brain waves also increase.

Superbrain Yoga ®(with video) is a simple 3-minute technique to energize and recharge the brain. It can integrate and balance both brain hemispheres. In one study, an electroencephalograph (EEG) showed increased amplitude in the parieto-occipital region of the brain following the Superbrain Yoga. This indicates increased brain electrical activity following the exercise. It’s great for adults and children.

♥ Mental / Emotional Strategies ♥

Guided imagery is intentional and useful daydreaming that is multi-sensory (sights, sounds, smells, etc.) and practiced while in a relaxed state. It is used for relaxation, healing, increasing insight and intuition, making personal changes and for self-understanding. It primarily uses the mindbody connection. Start here.

Julie Lusk, MEd, E-RYT 500, has more than 35 years of expertise in stress relief, yoga, relaxation training, guided imagery, and meditation as an international author, recording artist, and workshop leader. Julie is the author of Yoga Nidra for Complete Relaxation and Stress Relief, Yoga Meditations, two volumes of 30 Scripts for Relaxation, Imagery and Inner Healing, and Desktop Yoga®. Her audio downloads and CDs include Wholesome Relaxation, Power of Presence, Yoga Nidra Essentials, Blue Moon Rising, and many others. Learn more at WholesomeResources.com

Many thanks to Dan Leven for sharing this Loving Kindness Face Lift. He was inspired by Sharon Salzberg’s book, Real Love.

As he puts it, “It begins with “may my face be happy, may my face be peaceful.” And then you continue moving through each body part wishing them well in this way… “may my neck be happy, may my neck be peaceful … may my shoulders be happy, may my shoulders be peaceful,” and so on. You open your heart’s kindness to your whole body (including to your own heart).”

It’s a great way to start and end the day. I love it. I really go to town with spreading happiness and peace throughout my entire body. I enjoy coming up with new places to shower with loving kindness with each practice such as for my brain, blood, eyes and ears – even my hair. Before long, it’s going out to family, friends, pets, strangers and to all kinds of situations. This meditation is especially handy when my attention is restless since it lets me jump all around. It can be any length too – long or short. It sure feels uplifting.

Dan goes on to explain the science underpinning it. He says, “the vagus nerve is a core part of our parasympathetic nervous system that has two branches. One branch is associated with surviving in a perceived life or death situation where our whole body slows down, feigning death (a primitive survival mechanism). The other branch is about helping us relax and soften into the loving support of others and is associated with the release of oxytocin (the cuddle or bonding molecule). Both branches are about our relationship to “others”: dangerous “others” or safe and loving “others.”

Here’s the kicker he reports, “the vagus nerve has many fibers that connect to our facial muscles where we reveal our emotions through a plenitude of expressions. Scientists have logged 21 different emotional expressions that register within the face and there are 8 universal emotional facial expressions that you don’t need a translator to interpret. So our face can register the vagal response from shock and terror, like a deer in the headlights of a moving car (survival vagus nerve), to happiness and peace, like a contented Buddha face (loving vagus nerve)! However, we can also create the response as we bring happiness and peace to our faces!”

So the KEY point, according to Dan, “is that as you invite or train your facial muscles to discover happiness and peace you are strengthening the relaxation response that’s linked to feeling supportive or loving connection with others -to feeling safe in the world.”

Adjusting from summer to fall always comes with mixed feelings for me. At first, it’s so hard for me to accept the end of the warmth, light, and the greenness of the plants, trees and garden. “Where did it go,” I ask my self. “I’m not ready for this!”

Honestly, for years and years, I’d feel mighty bummed. In my mind, I was already jumping way ahead to the shivering cold and darkness of winter while missing all the things I like about summer. Somehow, I’d let myself miss out on what the autumn is all about.

But now, I close my eyes and I sit in yoga meditation. Eventually, my racing mind settles into the steadiness of my breathing and the present moment opens up like a fragrant flower. Instead of feeling sorry that another summer is gone and anticipating an uncertain future, I’m able to take in what’s around me now. When my eyes reopen, it’s easy to notice that the trees aren’t bare. In fact, the air is crisp and clean and the changing light and shadows cast a beautiful spell over me. What a relief.

All that energy that was being wasted on feeling anxious has effortlessly shifted into the energy of inspiration and an undeniable readiness to take what’s right before me and enjoy it for what it is. For years, I missed out on all the gorgeous fall days. Not anymore. Now I’m grateful for the tastes and smells and colors of autumn and reach into my closet for my favorite sweater.

Autumn is a time for harvesting, letting go, and for preparing unsown areas for reseeding. This goes for the actual activities that happen during this season on earth and for what happens in our lives. For me, the magic ingredient that helps me with this is yoga and meditation. Please join me or your favorite teacher so we can continue to grow inward and onward.

Out for a walk the other night, I was stunned to see how groups of people were all looking at their phones instead of talking with each other, let alone noticing the brilliant sunset. Even the bikers were glued to their devices while riding their bikes. I was surprised that people weren’t crashing into one another. More folks were glued to their screens at the restaurant too. We all know that too many people text while driving – another recipe for disaster.

Living in a fast-paced 24/7 world, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. We’re pushed to work harder, take care of our family, and keep up with current events along with a constant social media stream. Expectations are high all the way around.

Pico Iyer, a lifelong travel writer says ““In an age of acceleration,nothing can be more exhilarating than going slow.And in an age of distraction,nothing is so luxurious as paying attention.And in an age of constant movement,nothing is so urgent as sitting still.”

His Ted Talk video is well worth watching. It will inspire you with ways to take back your time in ways that will replenish your body, mind and soul. Here are a few quotes and tips to whet your imagination.

“One of the first things you learn when you travel is that nowhere is magical unless you can bring the right eyes to it.” He says that best way to develop more appreciative eyes is by sitting still. A trip is limited in duration, but the memories will last a lifetime by sitting still long enough to remember.

By going nowhere, he recommends taking a few minutes out of every day – or a few days out of every season – to sit still long enough to find out what moves you most, to recall where your truest happiness lies, and to remember that sometimes making a living and making a life point in opposite directions.

“It’s not our experience that makes our lives, it’s what we do with it.”

“We can easily make contact with people on the further corners of the planet, but sometimes in that process we lose contact with ourselves.”

Why not take a few moments out right now? Here’s how …

Turn your phone, TV, radio and other electronic devices off for a while.

Focus your attention on the moment by breathing fully and mindfully. It is calming and refreshing for your nerves and it will light up your energy. Try out yoga’s ocean-sounding breath (ujjaya breath).

Blink your eyes a bunch of times till they water. The moisture will help your vision.

Yawn. It cools the brain, gives you a burst of oxygen, and refreshes your eyesight and hearing. If you’re lucky, you’ll catch some flies.